The Five Scarves - Girls' Night In
by RaceProUK
Summary: [One-shot] Hanna and Rob are set to go on a double-date with Danny and Sally, but the boys have a plan. Since the girls have yet to get to know each other well, the boys trick the girls into hanging out without them. At first, Hanna is not amused (an understatement), but Sally isn't going to let the evening go to waste: she's there to enjoy the it, and enjoy it she will!
1. The Trick

It is the middle of the morning in Jade Creek, and in the lake in its centre, three friends are taking advantage of the unusually warm weather and having the day off to swim in the lake. The lynx, the badger, and the hedgehog frolic seemingly without a care in the world, pushing all concerns to the backs of their minds. After a couple of hours however, a pleasant fatigue sets in, and the trio returns to the beach to bask dry in the sun.

"Thanks for this, guys," Maria Shanmao sighs contentedly, the lynx enjoying the warmth the sun is beaming into her olive fur. "I know I've been a silly sulky recently, but this morning has really cheered me up."

"That's what friends are for," Danny Brock acknowledges, holding hands with his hedgehog girlfriend as they both bask beside the lynx.

"It can't have been easy, seeing us so happy together when your own attempt… well, y'know," Sally Flynn guesses.

"It wasn't," Maria admits. "But I shouldn't have been such a silly sulky‑poo."

"Don't worry about it," Danny assures.

For the next few minutes, the trio simply lay in contended silence.

"Is anyone else a bit thirsty?" Sally asks.

"I wasn't until you mentioned it," Danny admits. "The usual?"

"Sure," Sally confirms.

"Maria?" Danny asks.

"What else?" Maria smiles cheekily.

"Back in a sec," Danny informs.

Danny stands, brushes the sand from his fur (earning a playful slap on the calf when some of it lands on Sally), then heads into the house the three share at the edge of the vegetation line behind the beach. It only takes a minute to prepare the drinks, but as he's about to take them outside, the phone rings. Curious, Danny answers it. "Hello?"

"Hey Danny," Rob Stiil answers. "You guys free tonight?"

"Absolutely," Danny confirms.

"Cool. Fancy a night out in Shang Mu?"

"I don't see why not. Me, you, Hanna, and Sal, right?"

"Actually…" Rob pauses a moment. "Look, y'know how Hanna and Sally haven't really gotten to know each other yet?"

"I'm aware," Danny acknowledges. "It has been bothering me a bit, if I'm honest."

"Me too. That's why I have a plan to force them to spend an evening getting to know each other," Rob reveals.

"I take it Hanna's not home right now," Danny guesses.

"She's at HQ this morning, helping with some CQC training," Rob explains.

"Again?" Danny asks. "I thought her PD was over?"

"It seems she's not impressed at the standards shown by the trainees, so she's decided to 'encourage' them, as she put it," Rob explains.

"I pity those trainees," Danny jokes. "They won't know what hit them."

"Yeah, I know how… 'enthusiastic' she can get," Rob sighs. "But she'll be back just after lunch, so I don't have that much time. I'm thinking you and Sally come to ours late afternoon on the pretence of it being a double‑date. Then, I'll get Hanna to head upstairs for something, and we'll take off, just us two. What do you say?"

"Sal will be so pissed at me," Danny admits. "Then again, it's been _years_ since we had a proper lad's night out, just the two of us." Danny pauses a moment. "OK, it's a plan. I'm sure Sal will see the funny side of it."

"Cool," Rob acknowledges, a hint of mischievous excitement creeping into his tone. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

As the afternoon turns into evening, Danny and Sally arrive at the two‑storey Rage Ravine home of Hanna and Rob Skarlett, park outside the garage (Danny making sure Rob's ATV isn't blocked by their trikes), then knock on the front door. Or they would have knocked, had said door not already been opened by Hanna.

"No, I didn't break anyone's bones this morning," Hanna answers before the badger and hedgehog can speak.

"But we didn't ask you anything," Danny reminds.

"And now you don't have to," Hanna states, moving back from the door to let her friends in.

"Hello to you to," Sally adds as she enters the house with Danny.

"Don't mind Hanna," Rob informs the couple. "She's just in a funny mood, s'all."

"Which has nothing at all to do with you arranging a double‑date without asking me first, therefore leaving Maria all alone all evening," Hanna adds with a hint of sarcasm.

"Maria will be fine," Danny assures.

"She was quite eager to have the house to herself, in fact," Sally adds.

"Really?" Hanna asks, a little surprised. "Maybe I should call her…"

"Hanna, didn't you agree to stop treating her like a kid?" Rob reminds.

"Yeah, you're right," Hanna sighs in admission. "It's just… I dunno. So long as she's happy, I guess."

"She was pretty cheery when we left," Danny assures.

"Fair enough," Hanna admits. "Shall we go?"

"In a moment," Rob answers. "First, can you put all our scarves safe upstairs?" he requests, removing his scarf and handing it to Hanna.

"Seriously?" Hanna asks in return as Danny and Sally hand her their scarves too.

"It's not like we're gonna need them, is it?" Rob replies.

With a sigh, Hanna disappears upstairs, muttering a few mild profanities.

Sally watches Hanna disappear upstairs. "I hope she cheers up soon," she opines. "Otherwise, this evening's gonna be a chore."

Silence answers her.

"Dan? Rob?" Sally asks, looking around to find neither present. "What the…‽ Where'd they go‽"

"Where'd who go?" Hanna asks as she returns to the den.

"The boys," Sally explains. "They were here when you went upstairs."

Hanna is about to answer, pausing when she hears two engines fire up. "What on Avalice‽ They're heading out without us!"

" _What‽_ Why would they‑ Oh, I see what they're doing," Sally realises.

"And what would that be?" Hanna asks, wearing an expression of building thunder.

"They're forcing us to spend the evening together, so we get to know each other," Sally explains.

"This was all Rob's idea, I guarantee," Hanna growls.

"And Dan went along with it," Sally adds, displeased.

"Well, if they're going to just abandon us, then we'll have our own night out!" Hanna declares, striding to the front door.

"Wait a minute," Sally interrupts as Hanna grabs hold of the doorknob. "Surely we should get changed first?"

"What are you talking about?" Hanna retorts.

"If we're going to have a girls' night out, let's do it properly," Sally decides. "Have you got any dresses?"

" _Dresses‽_ " Hanna asks, surprised. "What makes you think I have dresses‽ Do I _look_ like I wear dresses‽"

"I dress almost the same as you," Sally reminds, referring to her black tank‑top and royal blue capris and comparing them to Hanna's black halterneck and navy‑blue capris. "Yet I have a dozen dresses."

"So?"

"Also, Dan told me you have some. And yes, Rob told him."

"Fine. I have dresses. I got them on honeymoon, OK?" Hanna relents angrily. "I guess I was overcome with romanticism or something. Now come on, we're wasting time," she finishes, opening the door.

"Not when you're in this mood," Sally decides, sitting on the sofa, resolute.

"My husband and your boyfriend tricked us into hanging out," Hanna reminds. "I have the right to be angry."

"I'm angry too," Sally admits. "But I'm not going to let that spoil our evening."

"Then I'll go out by myself!" Hanna decides.

"That's just dumb," Sally informs.

"Don't care." Hanna leaves the house, slamming the door shut. A minute later, she comes back in again. "Don't. Say. A word," she instructs before slumping in the chair, seething.

Sally holds her tongue for about a minute. "Girls' night in it is then," she decides.

"Whatever," Hanna mumbles dismissively.


	2. The Treat

"So," Sally begins after a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence, "are you going to get your dresses, or are you going to act more childish than Maria all night?"

"Are you going to keep asking all night long?" Hanna growls back.

"Yep," Sally smiles cheekily back.

 _Damn._ "Fine, I'll get them," Hanna sighs.

"I'll pour us some drinks," Sally volunteers, heading to the kitchen as Hanna trudges upstairs.

Five minutes later, her whole collection of six backless skaters in various colours in hand, Hanna returns to the den to find Sally has not only poured two glasses of wine, but also stripped to her underwear. "Why are you naked in my house‽"

"I'm not naked, I'm wearing underwear," Sally corrects. "Also, wearing a dress over a tank‑top and capris is just dumb. Besides, you've seen me in a bikini before, in Jade Creek."

"Yeah, but this is _my_ house."

"Then strip."

"No. What's the wine for, anyway?"

"To make the bad movies we're going to watch more tolerable."

Hanna dumps her dresses on the back of the chair, then strides up to Sally. "What's your game?" she growls angrily. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"I'm tryin' ta get ya to loosen up!" Sally replies, affecting a humorous accent. "You're always so wound up about something, it's a wonder you don't get an aneurysm. Now take a deep breath, have some wine, calm down, and strip to your undies."

Hanna closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. _Come on, Hanna. It's obvious the boys want us to be friends, even if they did trick us into this. May as well make the most of it._ "OK, OK, fine, I'll calm down, have some wine, and… strip, if that'll make you happy."

"Trust me, it'll make you happy too," Sally assures.

"Can't see how," Hanna murmurs as she picks up her glass, downs half of it, then heads for the stairs.

"In here," Sally insists.

Hanna halts, hesitates a moment, then slowly returns to the centre of the den. "Do I have to?"

"I would have stripped in front of you, no problem," Sally informs.

Hanna sighs in defeat, drains her glass, then removes her top and capris, tossing them onto the chair with Sally's clothes. "There, I'm almost naked, just like you," she grumbles.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sally smiles. "'Sides, I don't see what the big issue is anyway, given your normal outfit doesn't leave much to the imagination. Also, how you spent half your time in Yamakasai with no top on."

"Thanks for reminding me about the night I was forced to cut off my tail to survive," Hanna growls. "Had to use my top as a tourniquet so I didn't bleed out. It was ruined."

"I uh… I fear I've touched a nerve there," Sally admits. "My apologies."

Hanna simply grunts a response.

"Let's get this evening back on track," Sally decides. "Which of those is your favourite?"

"The midnight blue one," Hanna mumbles.

"And what's your least favourite?"

"The yellow one. Dunno why I bought it, to be honest."

"Let's see it on you."

Hanna fixes Sally with a piercing gaze. "I'm orange with red hair. It makes no sense to wear yellow: dark blues and blacks work best on me. That's why I wear those colours: they complement my fur."

"Teal and olive aren't complementary colours, but the combination works for Maria," Sally reminds. "Why not yellow and orange?"

"Well… They are analogous, I guess," Hanna admits, her eyes drifting towards the dresses.

"Excellent!" Sally smiles. "Now, which one for me," she thinks aloud as she moves to the chair to retrieve the yellow dress. "Oh, I think I'll try this forest green one!" she decides.

"That won't suit you," Hanna informs.

"I know," Sally agrees, tossing the yellow dress to Hanna. "Yellow is much more my colour."

"Explains why you like Danny," Hanna quips, surprising herself a little.

Sally pauses a moment. "Did… Did you just make a _joke?_ "

"Sorry, I didn't mean‑" Hanna begins to apologise, stopping when she realises Sally is smiling and blushing slightly. "You're not offended?"

"Nah," Sally assures. "His fur colour is one of many reasons I'm attracted to him."

"My fur is one of the things Rob finds attractive about me," Hanna reveals as she climbs into the yellow dress. "That and my excellent figure. Do you know some say silver's a boring colour? Obviously, they're all wrong: after all, it's the colour of a sword, and they're pretty exciting."

"I didn't pin you as one for blades," Sally admits, securing the green dress in place around her neck then pushing her tail through the small hole in the back. "Always saw that as Maria's thing."

"It is," Hanna confirms. "I chose nunchaku as they're more challenging. Besides, I always have ten razor‑sharp claws I can use whenever the mood takes me. Why would I ever need a blade?"

"Good point," Sally admits. "Me, I stuck with a kaiken as that's what I'm used to from the military."

"I swear this dress used to fit," Hanna thinks aloud, fiddling with the back of it. "Oh… I didn't put my tail through the hole first. How did I forget that?"

"With a tail that size, I'm surprised too," Sally admits as Hanna sorts herself out. "Well, how do I look?" she asks, twirling on the spot.

"Huh."

"What?"

"That works surprisingly well on you."

"Really? Cool!"

Hanna finally finishes getting her yellow dress in place. "Well, here it is on me," she sighs. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"I dunno, I need to see all of it," Sally replies. "Give us a twirl."

With a sigh, Hanna rotates on the spot.

"I said a twirl," Sally presses. "That wasn't a twirl."

Hanna rolls her eyes, then gives a proper twirl, the skirt of her dress flying almost horizontal as she over‑rotates, stumbles, and just about stops herself falling over. "Woah… Kinda overdid that a bit."

"Wine gone to your head already?" Sally teases.

"No, just not used to twirling," Hanna admits, turning back to face Sally. "Well?"

"You look stunning in yellow."

"Seriously‽"

"With your figure? What _wouldn't_ you look good in?"

"You've got a pretty fine figure too, I have to admit." Hanna looks down at herself again. "Do you really think I look good in this?"

"Well, OK, I'll admit yellow doesn't do much to hide your chunkiness‑"

"How _dare_ you‽" Hanna snaps. "This is _all_ muscle!"

"Chill," Sally assures, raising her hands in a gesture of apology. "I know that Red Scarf training is designed to improve your strength and resilience, which can easily lead to an increase in muscle mass. Heck, I've only been a Scarf a few months, and already my capris are a bit tighter around the thigh than I'm used to. At this rate, I'll be buying half a new wardrobe soon!"

"Then don't be rude about my figure."

"I'm not being rude, just honest."

"It sounded rude."

"I assure you, it wasn't rude."

Hanna looks Sally in the eyes for a few moments, seeing only honest openness. "Sorry," she relents. "You're right, of course: I do get wound up easily. It's just… I'm not used to this sort of thing."

"You've never done this with Maria?" Sally asks.

"We didn't really have many chances," Hanna admits. "When we were all living at HQ, we pretty much always hung out as a group when we weren't training or on missions. And then when we moved out, I moved here with Rob, and she moved to Jade Creek with Danny and Xander. And even on the few occasions when it was just me and her, she never even tried to get me to wear a dress. And then of course there's my rep."

"Your rep?"

"Yeah," Hanna sighs. "I carved myself a reputation as someone to be feared, and for the first few years, it worked really well. Then… Actually, I don't want to talk about it."

"Fair enough," Sally accepts. "Maybe later. Until then, let's find a terrible movie to watch," she decides, taking a seat on the sofa and picking up the remote.

"We're not changing back into our normal outfits?" Hanna asks.

"Nope," Sally smiles cheekily. "Now sit yourself next to me, pour some more wine, and most importantly of all, relax and enjoy yourself!"

"OK," Hanna relents. "Can you budge up a bit? It's just you're right in the middle."

"Then sit next to me."

Hanna makes to argue, but realises there's no point. _Yep, I'm not in control of this at all. Still, it's not bad. In fact, it's fun. Wait… I'm enjoying this? Why am I enjoying this? This isn't what I like! And yet…_

"You OK?" Sally asks.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Hanna replies.

"You sure? It's just, you zoned out a bit there."

"I'm fine."

"Then sit."

Hanna sits without hesitation, pours herself and Sally a fresh glass of wine each, and settles back to try and enjoy the movie Sally has selected.


	3. The Chat

"A rom‑com?" Hanna asks as the movie begins.

"Yup," Sally confirms.

"I _hate_ rom‑coms," Hanna reveals. "It's always the same: boy meets girl, they fall in love, boy does something foolish, girl dumps him, boy does something even more foolish, girl takes him back because she's a bigger idiot than him, they get married, happily ever after. It's so predictable."

"Yup," Sally confirms.

"Is there an action movie we can watch instead?" Hanna asks. "Or a martial arts movie? Or, even better, a martial arts action movie?"

"Nope," Sally confirms.

"Did you check?"

"Nope."

Hanna reaches for the remote, but Sally is quicker, snatching it and hiding it under the front of her dress between her breasts, where she knows Hanna won't dare go after it.

"Point taken," Hanna sighs, settling back for what she thinks will be two hours of utter boredom.

* * *

Two hours and two glasses of wine later, and Hanna's mood is very different.

"Well… That wasn't as bad as I expected," Hanna admits. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but… it was kinda sweet. Utterly ridiculous crap, but sweet nonetheless."

"Agreed. I'm hungry."

"Hi Hungry, I'm Hanna."

"That joke was terrible," Sally giggles. "Come on, let's see what you have to eat."

Sally sets her glass on the table, stands, then pulls Hanna to her feet and leads her to the kitchen, the vixen just managing to place her glass on the table before she drops it on the floor. Once in the kitchen, Sally starts rooting through the cupboards.

"What exactly are you looking for, anyway?" Hanna asks.

"How did you and Rob meet?" Sally asks, changing the subject as she starts collecting ingredients. "Also, do you have any blueberries?"

"No, but we have lychees and kumquats," Hanna answers.

"And blueberries!" Sally chimes, finding a punnet in front of the other fruit.

"How did they‑ Oh, wait, Rob went shopping this morning," Hanna realises. "Explains why we have more wine than usual, too," she adds as she retrieves a fresh bottle.

"You haven't answered my question," Sally reminds as she starts making a batch of pancake batter.

"Well, I know how you and Danny met, so I guess it's only fair," Hanna begins. "It was actually during my first tournament, not long after passing training a month early. I was so arrogant back then, I was sure I'd win with ease… only for Rob to utterly humiliate me in the second round…"

* * *

"…Our first night as a couple may have been in a gaol cell, but it was the best night of my life up to that point, even if we were both in handcuffs," Hanna finishes as Sally serves the freshly‑cooked blueberry pancakes. "There are only two occasions I've felt happier. One being my wedding day, obviously."

"And the other?" Sally presses.

"It was when we first found this place, three and a half years ago, on our first anniversary," Hanna answers. "It was mothballed by the Scarves after the couple who owned it went missing around the same time my parents did. We broke in, found our way up to the balcony, and had lunch. Well, I say 'had lunch'…" Hanna tails off, a knowing smirk on her face.

"You didn't!" Sally exclaims in disbelief. "On the balcony?"

"Yup."

"Must have been amazing."

"Oh yeah!" Hanna hesitates a moment. "OK… So, I just shared something very personal with you… Wasn't expecting that," she adds, blushing noticeably.

"Your secret's safe with me," Sally assures as the girls return to the sofa and begin eating.

"Wow!" Hanna exclaims after her first mouthful. "These are brilliant!"

"My favourite," Sally reveals. "Been making them… must be at _least_ fifteen years now."

"So, come on then," Hanna prompts. "You've heard about my first time: what about yours?"

"Promise you won't tell Dan?" Sally requests.

"Of course," Hanna agrees.

"It was at boot camp, so about eight years ago," Sally begins. "Yes, engineers had to go through boot camp, just like the rank‑and‑file. There was this cute chipmunk soldier I took a shine to, and he was pretty taken with me too. We dated for a while, and‑"

"Skip to the juicy bit," Hanna interrupts.

"OK, OK, I'll skip to the juicy bit," Sally chuckles. "After about three months, on a free weekend, we took the chance to camp for a few nights, lakeside in Jade Creek, and we did it out in the open, under the stars. And it was amazing, but not as amazing as my first time with Dan."

"You're not going to leave it hanging there, are you?" Hanna presses.

Sally blushes deeply. "It was the day I realised I love him. We'd spent a few nights together before that, but even though we shared a bed, we never went all the way. I could tell he wanted to, but I wasn't ready, and he accepted that without argument. After all, at the time, I was still in the military, and neither of us knew whether we'd be able to keep our relationship going. But when we were flying back to the Gotoshi after stealing the Crystals and Headbands, I had an epiphany. I knew that I never wanted to be apart from Dan again, so when he informed me he'd got me into the Scarves, I could only think of one way to thank him. We locked ourselves in the cockpit, and… Well, there's only one word for it: _magical_."

"Aww, so _cute!_ " Hanna squeaks. "Where on Avalice did _that_ come from‽" she asks in surprise a moment later. "I sounded like Maria!"

"They do say that close friends adopt some of each other's traits," Sally smiles in amusement. "I get the feeling you two are very close."

"Yeah," Hanna confirms. "Has she told you about how she became a Scarf yet?"

"Not yet," Sally confirms. "How did she?"

"I'm afraid that's not my story to tell," Hanna informs. "Only Maria chooses who knows that story."

"That serious, huh?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Silence descends as the two finish their pancakes.

"Sorry I killed the mood," Sally apologises, setting her plate on the table.

"It's OK," Hanna assures. "You'll understand why when she tells you."

"We should talk about something else."

"Yeah."

Sally thinks for a moment. "Can you teach me to be scary? Y'know, like you are."

"I don't know if I can make you as scary as me, but sure, I'll teach you a few tricks," Hanna agrees. "First, let's see your best effort."

Sally erects her spines and adopts a stern expression.

"That's not scary, not even slightly," Hanna dismisses.

Without warning, Hanna extends her claws to their fullest, fluffs her tail, bears her teeth, and lunges threateningly at Sally, snarling and growling ferociously. With a yelp of terror, Sally scrambles backwards and falls of the sofa.

"Shit, that was scary!" Sally exclaims as Hanna relaxes.

"Like I said earlier, I carved out a rep as someone to be frightened of," Hanna smiles smugly. "You OK?"

"Yeah… Just need to get my heart rate below two hundred again." Sally takes a few deep calming breaths. "OK, I'm better now," she assures, climbing back on the sofa.

"It's all about presence," Hanna begins. "Erecting your spines is a good start, but by itself, it just isn't enough. It may scare children and the weak, but it won't faze a soldier, guard, or ninja. Snarl for me."

Sally does her best to snarl.

"Now you look like you've trodden in shit," Hanna observes. "Come on, try harder! Bear your teeth and growl!"

Sally takes a moment to ready herself, then snarls properly.

"Better," Hanna compliments. "Now, get those spines up and those claws out," she commands. "No, _right_ out," she adds, noticing Sally hasn't fully extended her claws.

"That's as far as they come out," Sally corrects.

"I'm sure they're longer than that," Hanna presses.

Sally raises her hands and extends her claws to their fullest. "I'm afraid this is all there is. Let's see yours."

Hanna raises her hands and extends her claws fully, revealing they're twice as long, and with much sharper points.

"Fuck!" Sally gasps in both shock and admiration. "They're… _long!_ "

"Do you file yours down?" the vixen asks.

"Yeah," Sally admits.

"Don't," Hanna instructs. "Let them grow, and file them to as sharp a point as you can."

"I'll give it a shot," Sally agrees.

"That aside, let's put it all together," Hanna continues. "And don't give me any warning."

"OK." Sally waits a few moments, then lunches at Hanna, erecting her spines and growling and bearing her teeth and claws. "How was that?"

"Better," Hanna compliments. "I almost flinched."

Sally sighs in defeat. "I'll never be as scary as you."

"Few can be," Hanna comforts. "But you can get so much closer: just keep practicing."

"Will do."

"Another movie?"

"Sure," Sally agrees, handing the remote to Hanna. "You choose."

As Hanna reaches for the remote, Sally lunges again to scare the vixen, who flinches and pulls back.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Sally smirks as she relaxes.

"You made me flinch," Hanna remarks. "You actually made me flinch. Few can do that, and you're now one of them."

"Th‑Thanks!" Sally replies, unable to hide a smile of satisfaction. "Now, let's see what's on…"


	4. The Bond

As the second movie comes to an end, Sally cannot help but notice Hanna's gone quiet, and is staring into her nearly empty wine glass. "Are you OK?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm OK," Hanna replies, snapping back to the present.

"Are you sure?" Sally presses, concerned. "If you're not enjoying the evening, we can call it a night early if you like."

"It's not that," Hanna assures. "In fact, I've been enjoying tonight, even if to start with I was a bit difficult."

"An understatement," Sally teases.

"Shush," Hanna retorts in good humour. "Seriously though, it's been great to be properly girly for a change."

"Then why the long face?"

Hanna takes a moment to organise her thoughts. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"It's all an act."

"What is?"

"The aggression, the scariness, the over‑confidence… It's all an act, one I've maintained for so long it's… well, it's become who I am," Hanna explains.

"Had a feeling it might be," Sally admits. "That's why I was so adamant about making the most of tonight."

"You wanted to crack my hard shell and get to the tender meat inside."

"In a way: I wanted to break through the disguise and see the real you."

"A scared little girl desperately trying to survive in this fucked up world," Hanna admits quietly.

"You're not the only one," Sally admits in return. "The world is a scary place, and all anyone can do is try their best to survive."

"This last year and a bit has been insane," Hanna recalls. "First the Brevon Crisis, then the whole mess with the Ethereal and his asinine Elementals, my brief descent into insanity, the arrival of Aquila, our first mission in the Gotoshi, being kidnapped, the Jades invading Shang Tu, bringing Aquila down… At least after that, we had a break for a while."

"And then, the day you get back from honeymoon, it's off to the Gotoshi again to help win a civil war," Sally adds.

"I've lost count of the number of times I've almost died in that time," Hanna sighs. "And I came so close to losing my friends too."

"And your husband."

"Obviously."

"What is the average life expectancy of a Red Scarf anyway?" Sally asks.

"I don't think anyone's worked out an exact figure, but I'll say this: compare the number of Scarves in their thirties with the number in their twenties, and note how much larger the second number is."

"Woah…" Sally takes a few moments to digest that thought.

"I don't like to think about it," Hanna reveals. "It's too depressing."

"You're only nineteen," Sally reminds. "I'm twenty‑six."

"Really?" Hanna asks in surprise. "I would have guessed no more than twenty."

"You flatter me," Sally smiles, blushing slightly. "Then again, I do take care of myself a lot better than most engineers. Still, that didn't prepare me for how tough Scarves' training is."

"It's brutal if you're not prepared for it," Hanna confirms. "Then again, it's brutal if you _are_ prepared for it."

"I understand why though, given the nature of the job."

"What was it like being a military engineer?"

"Quite comfortable, comparatively speaking," Sally answers. "Working in a nice warm lab with predictable hours and a handsome pay packet, I thought it'd be what I did my whole career, retiring in my fifties with a sizeable pension."

"That sounds dull to me," Hanna admits.

"It didn't to me at the time," Sally continues. "Especially when I was tasked with researching those Crystals with my… with my father… I miss him so much…" she tails off, shedding a few tears of sorrow.

Hanna puts her arm around Sally's shoulders in comfort. "You're so lucky to have known him all your life," she comforts. "I didn't meet mine until last year."

"How come?" Sally sniffs, dabbing her eyes dry.

"My parents were forced to abandon me at an orphanage when I was just a few months old," Hanna explains. "Thanks to Aquila's father."

"Let me guess: something to do with the Elemental Crystals."

"The Fire Crystal specifically."

"Those things should be destroyed: they've brought nothing but pain and misery to so many."

"Agreed. Then again, we did win a civil war with them."

"If it wasn't for them, there wouldn't have even _been_ a civil war."

"Yeah…"

For the next few minutes, both Hanna and Sally remain silent, the heavy mood weighing them down.

"We should talk about something happier," Hanna decides.

"Like what?" Sally asks.

"No idea," Hanna admits.

"You could tell me how you became a Scarf," Sally suggests.

"That's not a happy story," Hanna explains.

"How come?"

"Children died."

"Children you cared for?"

"Yeah… How did you know?"

Sally shrugs. "Lucky guess."

The pair fall silent once more.

"We've reached that part of the evening," Sally realises.

"What part?" Hanna asks, confused.

"The part where we recall all the bad shit that's happened to us and get a bit depressed," Sally explains.

"Hm… Come with me." Hanna stands, gently pulls Sally to her feet, and begins to lead her upstairs.

"Where are we going?" Sally asks.

"The balcony," Hanna answers.

"What for?"

"You'll see."

Hanna leads Sally through the master bedroom and out onto the balcony, then reclines in one of the two deck chairs and looks up at the stars. A moment later, Sally reclines in the other deck chair.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Hanna asks.

"The stars?" Sally asks in return. "Yeah."

"I come out here quite often, if the weather allows," Hanna reveals. "Usually it's just to relax in the cool night air, but sometimes, when I'm feeling low, I like to look up and think about how, in the vastness of the universe, there must be someone out there in a shittier situation than me."

"That's… a bit weird, if I may be so bold," Sally replies.

"It works," Hanna confirms. "But that's not all I think about. There's just so much out there, and even though I know I'll only ever see even the smallest percentage of it, there's always that little glimmer of hope that I'll see something truly wondrous."

"And now we're at the philosophical part of the evening," Sally smiles.

"That's a good thing, right?" Hanna asks.

"Yep," Sally confirms.

"Good: I was getting bored of being sad and moody."

"Me too."

For the next few minutes, the girls lie in silence, content to watch the stars.

"I may be mad at Rob, but I'm thankful he tricked us tonight," Hanna admits. "It's been worth it, getting to know you, and getting to know myself better too."

"The feeling's mutual," Sally agrees.

"We definitely have to do this again some time."

"I'd like that too."

"And Maria can join us."

"She's more than welcome."

The girls fall silent again.

"Want to watch another crappy movie?" Hanna asks a few moments later.

"Do you want to choose one this time?" Sally asks in return.

"Do you still have the remote?"

Sally feels between her breasts. "As it turns out, yes," she confirms.

"Are you going to hand it over, or do I have to go fishing?" Hanna asks with a hint of mischievousness.

"I'll save you the trouble," Sally chuckles as she retrieves the remote, handing it to Hanna as they return to the den.


	5. The Surprise

A few hours later, shortly after midnight, Rob and Danny finally return to the Skarlett house. Rob parks his ATV in the garage, Danny parks his trike behind, then together they head to the front door. Before they enter the house however, Danny has a question: "Do you think the girls are still mad at us?"

"Hanna will almost certainly be," Rob answers. "I'll probably be sleeping on the sofa for a few nights."

"I just hope it was worth it," Danny replies.

"Well, we're about to see."

Rob and Danny enter the house to find Hanna and Sally sat asleep on the sofa, leaning on each other.

"Wow," Rob whispers in amazement. "The plan worked better than expected!"

"Hanna's wearing a dress," Danny observes.

"The yellow one she hates too," Rob adds. "I don't understand why: she looks great in it."

"I can see that," Danny agrees. "And Sal looks great in green, which I never expected to work with her colours."

"I wonder what they got up to that's made them so exhausted Hanna's not woken up?" Rob thinks aloud. "Ah well, we'll find out in the morning, I guess."

The boys move to the sofa to lift their partners and carry them to bed. However, just as they start to slide their arms under, the girls spring their trap. Snarling ferociously with claws extended, they lunge at their partners. Rob leaps backwards, slams into the chair, and lands in a heap on the floor, while Danny lands hard on his tail, thankful there's nothing else for him to hit.

"Gotcha!" the girls chorus before collapsing in gales of laughter.

"Fuck me!" Rob curses.

"You'll be lucky!" Hanna quips mirthfully.

"Well, we know one thing they did," Danny concludes, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. "Your wife's given my girlfriend lessons in being scary."

"And they're working!" Sally chuckles, dabbing her eyes dry.

"I fear we may have created a monster," Rob jokes, recovering his composure.

"You only have yourselves to blame," Hanna reminds.

"Good point," Rob admits.

"I guess the scaring was payback for us tricking you," Danny guesses.

"Yep," Sally confirms.

"Does that mean we're even?" Danny asks.

"Don't push it," Sally answers as she offers Danny a helping hand, her expressions stern, yet her eyes playful.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry I tricked you," Danny apologises, accepting Sally's help and sitting beside her.

"Eh, don't worry about it," Sally dismisses with a smile. "I've had a great evening getting to know Hanna, which more than makes up for your deception."

"Thanks… I think," Danny replies.

"Welcome to my world," Rob quips, earning a stern look from Hanna.

"Come on Dan, let's turn in," Sally suggests.

"But I'm not tired," Danny replies.

"Nor am I," Sally winks.

Rob watches Danny follow Sally upstairs to the guest bedroom, then turns to Hanna, who's still staring at him disapprovingly. "I'm sleeping on the sofa for a few days, aren't I?"

"Yep," Hanna confirms. "G'night."

Rob watches Hanna disappear upstairs to the master bedroom, then with a sigh, gets to his feet and clears the plates, glasses, and empty bottles to the kitchen. Returning to the den, he's surprised to see Hanna's leaning casually on the doorframe at the bottom of the stairs in her most revealing negligée.

"I changed my mind. Hurry up before I change it again," she smiles seductively.

* * *

Early the following morning, Hanna is the first to wake. _Ugh, think we overdid it on the wine last night._ Feeling a little worse for wear, Hanna slides out of bed, wraps herself in her midnight blue bathrobe, and trudges downstairs to make herself a fresh cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Just as she finishes making it, Sally joins her in the kitchen.

"Morning," Hanna greets, noting Sally's also looking a little rough. "Want a drink?"

"I think that third bottle was a mistake," Sally replies. "Do you have any fruit juice?"

"A mistake we'll make next time, I'm sure," Hanna agrees. "In the fridge."

"Yeah," Sally smiles. "Sorry I was so bossy last night," she adds, fetching a bottle of blueberry juice from the fridge.

"Don't worry about it," Hanna assures. "I really enjoyed last night. It felt great to loosen up and be girly for a change."

"Me too," Sally admits. "It's been a long time since I was last able to. Thanks for lending me the bathrobe, by the way."

"It's what they're there for," Hanna acknowledges. "Y'know, I've just had an idea."

"I'm listening," Sally prompts.

"Why don't we swap tops?" Hanna suggests. "See how long before the boys notice."

"Sounds like fun," Sally agrees. "I've never worn a crop top before."

"It'll look good on you," Hanna assures.

* * *

An hour later, Rob and Danny appear in the den to find Hanna and Sally watching TV.

"Was wondering when you'd get up," Hanna greets.

"It wasn't a dream," Rob quips. "They really did become friends."

"Thanks for volunteering to make breakfast," Hanna replies.

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Rob asks.

"Yep," Hanna and Sally chorus.

"Fair enough." Rob disappears into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

"Either he's not letting on, or he really hasn't noticed you've swapped tops," Danny thinks aloud, whispering so Rob doesn't overhear.

"I suspect the latter," Hanna answers with an amused smile.

* * *

An hour later, and Danny and Sally are about to leave.

"Are you sure you can't stay a bit longer?" Hanna asks.

"We've got a mission tonight to prepare for, unfortunately," Sally reminds. "Besides, aren't you due to be at HQ this afternoon?"

"True," Hanna confirms. "In that case, I'll come with you guys, catch up with Maria, perhaps duel with her, then take her to HQ with me to help out. That way, she's out of your fur while you prepare."

"Not necessary, but something tells me you won't change your mind," Sally accepts.

"And maybe she'll notice we've swapped tops quicker than Rob has," Hanna adds.

Surprised, Rob looks between Hanna and Sally a few times. "How did I miss that?"

"Because you're an idiot," Hanna teases.


End file.
